3 New BC

[sikadelic]

I had a friend give me reign over their property today and dug a few awesome Bald Cypress. It was a great day.
I ended up taking 3. I'm extremely excited to see these guys develop. The 3rd one is my favorite with a very unique knee formed on the side. It's more visible in the last group picture.

Just to give you an idea of scale, the "pots" are 20x26 inch mortar mixing containers.

 

[Poink88]

Awesome! They all look great. Congrats!

 

[Dav4]

Wow!! Great material...I'm jealous!

 

[carp]

If they had already begun to bud out, theres a fair chance that they won't live. At any rate, get these trees submerged in water if they aren't. As you know, they grow in standing water, and root in standing water. You can get about a 85% success rate if you do this. Being late in the year, I don't know if it will help or not, but you'll find out. I collected a big one back in February, about 22in trunk, and had to buy a kiddy pool to submerged the grow box in. It's growing like gangbusters right now.

 

[sikadelic]

Thanks! I am super excited to have these trees and develop them. I had the opportunity to see hundreds and tried to be picky. I will chop them back some more next year after I get some new foliage booming. There are some better angles and more photos I will be putting on my blog later.

Note to self: make sure you're fully stocked with soil before collecting 4 trees. Good thing I had a lot on hand...I literally had to use it ALL. I started to run out which is why you see the turface fines on a couple low spots after I watered them really well.. It was a close call..lol.

 

[Dav4]

If they had already begun to bud out, theres a fair chance that they won't live. At any rate, get these trees submerged in water if they aren't. As you know, they grow in standing water, and root in standing water. You can get about a 85% success rate if you do this. Being late in the year, I don't know if it will help or not, but you'll find out. I collected a big one back in February, about 22in trunk, and had to buy a kiddy pool to submerged the grow box in. It's growing like gangbusters right now.

Johng, a long time member here at Bnut, lives in SC and I'm pretty sure he collects his cypresses during the heat of the summer and has better success that way then collecting during the dormant season. In my opinion, he's one of the most experienced bald cypress collectors and growers around. If we're lucky he'll chime in here.

 

[Wee]

Jarrod.....Those great...Congrats on the dig. I need to make some friends like that on the Ga coast.

Brian

 

[jkd2572]

You could have just put them in super organic soil and they would have still done fine. They Like being wet. I don't think setting them in water is of much use though. I don't think the oxygen free water that is also growing mosquitoes is very pleasant. Mine grow like weeds in 50/50 composted pine bark and decomposed granite. The 2nd ones base is great. I hope you plan on potting it higher in the future. Great find.

 

[sikadelic]

If they had already begun to bud out, theres a fair chance that they won't live. At any rate, get these trees submerged in water if they aren't. As you know, they grow in standing water, and root in standing water. You can get about a 85% success rate if you do this. Being late in the year, I don't know if it will help or not, but you'll find out. I collected a big one back in February, about 22in trunk, and had to buy a kiddy pool to submerged the grow box in. It's growing like gangbusters right now.

I know the timing seems weird, but I heard from many good sources that BC do well with Summer collection. I feel pretty confident these will do well. I had contemplated putting them in water but the other two I had didn't seem to benefit a lot from it. They were very healthy but it seems they are just as happy this year in pond baskets as they were in tubs with no drainage. I would love to see pics of your tree. It sounds like a beast!

Jarrod.....Those great...Congrats on the dig. I need to make some friends like that on the Ga coast.

Brian

Thanks! I hear they are a dime a dozen here in the South. Find a freshwater lake and poke around near the boat dock.

I hope you plan on potting it higher in the future. Great find.

Thanks. I most definitely will change the potting later on. Since these were freshly collected, I want them to have those fine roots nice and deep in the soil to make sure they dont dry out near the surface. I plan to pull them in Spring of 2016 to rework the roots and pot them at a more attractive height.

 

[johng]

Looks like you had some fun and collected some nice trees!!! I am sure they will do fine for you collected at this time of year!! Keep them out of the hot afternoon sun until they bud and start to grow a little...then poor the sun and water to them. I would give them a couple months before starting to fertilize. I noticed you used mortar mixing tubs...they are great but do be careful moving the trees around until the roots are established...the tubs are a little too flexible with newly potted trees and you can easily cause root damage when moving them...find a good spot and just leave them there for a couple months....then move carefully...after the first season there is nothing to worry about.

I really haven't seen any great advantages to growing them in water...other than just keeping them wet. If you can water well and often I don't think there is a real need...if you can't (for whatever reason) then perhaps a shallow tray of water is helpful. I do believe that large amounts of stagnant water are detrimental.

You did well to pot them deep to start...and it will be like Christmas in a couple years when you lower the level and rediscover the nice spread of healthy roots. This is perhaps the mistake I have made the most...potting to shallow in the beginning...Those big chooped roots really need to be covered well in order to heal and regenerate roots properly

John

 

[Poink88]

If you drill 2 equally spaced (1/3 way) holes on each side at the rim area of the tubs...you can run wires to the opposite side (tightly) and create a tic-tac-toe shape (with trunk base in the middle). This will help reduce pot flexing a lot when moving. Even with these, you should keep moving to the minimum.

I too think your BC will be fine...

Good luck!

 

[johng]

If they had already begun to bud out, theres a fair chance that they won't live. At any rate, get these trees submerged in water if they aren't. As you know, they grow in standing water, and root in standing water. You can get about a 85% success rate if you do this. Being late in the year, I don't know if it will help or not, but you'll find out. I collected a big one back in February, about 22in trunk, and had to buy a kiddy pool to submerged the grow box in. It's growing like gangbusters right now.

Perhaps that is the case in FL but not here in SC. I have this discussion every time I post my Summer collected BC. I don't pretend to know why, but here, BC never live when collected before budding...I wonder if it is our propensity for later cold Spring weather. I am well aware that is the standard practice in Fl. and it works there. I have been collecting in the Summer for more than a dozen years now. If the tree is healthy and vigorous before collecting there is a better than 90% chance that it will survive....with or without standing in water. Besides, who wants to go collecting when the reptiles are all asleep



An older pic but all of these trees were collected in the Summer...

Carp...you should try some summer collecting and see how it goes down there.

John

 

[johng]

If you drill 2 equally spaced (1/3 way) holes on each side at the rim area of the tubs...you can run wires to the opposite side (tightly) and create a tic-tac-toe shape (with trunk base in the middle). This will help reduce pot flexing a lot when moving. Even with these, you should keep moving to the minimum.

I too think your BC will be fine...

Good luck!

Doubling the pots also works well.
J

 

[GrimLore]

Strap them down to small wood pallets... Nice haul and GrAtZ Did you use ESEE equipment for collection?

Grimmy

 

[sikadelic]

Strap them down to small wood pallets... Nice haul and GrAtZ Did you use ESEE equipment for collection?

Grimmy

Just a good ol pruning saw. They're pretty easy to collect when growing in the swamp.

As ESEE fan, eh? I just ordered my first one as a promotion present to myself. I'm in love. http://imgur.com/a/XZ4Qn

 

[GrimLore]

Yes, I have had a couple pieces from that place "gifted" to me, good stuff indeed! I noticed the window sticker immediately

Grimmy

 

[sikadelic]

Good news and bad news for the three BC. The two on the right in my original pics are doing very well with lots of buds and shoots. The third hasn't moved at all yet. I'll continue to care for it for another month or two before I pull it up and turn it into a lamp or something. Fingers are crossed!

I'll be leaving these guys be to gain strength and revisit them next Spring with styling options. Im thinking about going with a formal upright on the one with the large knee. For the second, I think a flat top with some carving since I plan to carve the base to fix those high roots separating from the base.

Edit: Apologies for the sideways pics. They're upright on my phone, upright in Google Drive where I save them, but come out sideways here....again. I even deleted and tried again but no luck. No idea why.

 

[GrimLore]

Nice to see an update. I don't know what your usual success rate is but two out of three is not bad either way.

Grimmy

 

[Dav4]

Good for you, Jarrod. Hopefully, the third will get it's act together and start moving by August. Good luck.

 

[sikadelic]

Nice to see an update. I don't know what your usual success rate is but two out of three is not bad either way.

Grimmy

This was my first time collecting trees like this so I am pleased with the outcome. I really hope the other one takes off even though I am not planning on it. But like Meat Loaf said, 2 out of 3 ain't bad.